BURLINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings (LabCorp®)
(NYSE: LH) announced today the immediate availability of an enhanced
version of its HCV GenoSure® NS3/4, a drug resistance test
that screens for the Q80K polymorphism. Q80K is a naturally occurring
polymorphism that develops in certain strains of HCV, making the virus
less susceptible to Janssen Therapeutics’ OLYSIO™ (simeprevir), which
was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the
treatment of certain adult patients diagnosed with genotype 1chronic
hepatitis C (HCV). In clinical trials, patients with HCV genotype 1
containing the Q80K polymorphism demonstrated significantly lower
response rates to treatment with OLYSIO. Approximately one-third of HCV
patients have virus with Q80K polymorphism. Given the high frequency of
the Q80K polymorphism and its significant impact on OLYSIO’s success
rate, it is recommended that patients be screened for the Q80K
polymorphism prior to treatment.

LabCorp and Monogram Biosciences, Inc., a member of the LabCorp
Specialty Testing Group, were the first to launch an HCV drug resistance
test for NS3/4A protease inhibitors. In addition to OLYSIO, LabCorp’s
HCVGenoSure NS3/4A test also provides resistance information for the
drugs VICTRELIS® (boceprevir) and INCIVEK® (telaprevir).
With the inclusion of all three FDA approved protease inhibitors, HCV
GenoSure NS3/4A enables healthcare providers to select the most
appropriate therapy regimen for their patients.

An estimated 3.2 million people in the U.S. (and 170 million worldwide)
are chronically infected with HCV, which if left undiagnosed and
untreated can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular
carcinoma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
estimates that nearly half of the U.S. HCV population is currently
undiagnosed, and the slow and often silent onset of HCV disease
presentation has prompted more aggressive efforts to proactively
diagnose and treat HCV infection. “We are proud to be a leader in the
growing effort to screen and monitor individuals with HCV and to support
physicians in treatment decisions to improve patient outcomes,” said
David P. King, Chairman and CEO.

OLYSIO is a trademark of Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen
Products, LP.

VICTRELIS is a registered trademark of Schering Corp., a subsidiary
of Merck & Co., Inc.

INCIVEK is a registered trademark of Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Incorporated.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Each of the
forward-looking statements is subject to change based on various
important factors, including without limitation, competitive actions in
the marketplace and adverse actions of governmental and other
third-party payors.Actual results could differ materially from
those suggested by these forward-looking statements. Further information
on potential factors that could affect LabCorp’s financial results is
included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2012, and subsequent SEC filings.